ARC Raiders Has Changed From a Co-Op PvE Game to a ‘PvPvE Survival Extraction Shooter’

Following ARC Raiders’ delay from 2022 to 2023, Embark Studios has now confirmed the game has undergone a shift from a co-op PvP game to a “PvPvE survival extraction shooter.”

Aleksander Grøndal, ARC Raiders’ executive producer, took to Medium.com to share the update to the game and also confirm that signups for the Closed Alpha test that will take place this summer are now open on Steam.

When Embark delayed ARC Raiders, it said the delay would not only allow them to let the game reach its “fullest potential,” but also that it would allow the team to add a new PvP mode to it before launch. As it turns out, the team had so much fun implementing this new mode that the game underwent a “fundamental” change that would shift the genre of ARC raiders to a whole new one.

“ARC Raiders drops players into a lethal but stunningly beautiful future earth, with hair-raising moments of survival and suspense,” Grøndal said. “Human versus machine, human versus human, together or alone, and you versus the sometimes conflicting nature of your own humanity, all in the spectacular backdrop of a landscape littered with the haunting remains of the past.

Grøndal then shared an excerpt from ARC Raiders’ lore, and it gives a bit more context on how the game will play and what this shift from a co-op PvE game to a “PvPvE survival extraction shooter” means.

“People have fled to the underground colony of Speranza, seeking supplies to survive, and shelter from the machines,” The text reads. “Demand for resources is at an all-time high. But getting those resources is a risky job, and it isn’t for everyone. But it is a job for you. That’s why you’ve enlisted as a Raider, scavenging for vital supplies that are scattered across the landscape. Everything from leftovers from yesterday’s run-in with ARC to the unlikely remains of a pinball machine.

“Out there, the stakes are high, and you will have to fight for your loot. Lethal ARC machines roam the surface. And there are no rules in Calabretta, so beware of other Raiders. With the traders in Speranza, trust is hard-earned and easily lost. You need to earn your keep. So don’t come back from a quest empty-handed. When you see another Raider chased by a swarm of ARC drones, do you go in for the kill? Do you lend a helping hand? Or do you hold back and feast on the valuable remains?”

ARC Raiders was revealed at The Game Awards 2021 and the team behind the game is made up of ex-DICE devs with experience on Battlefield and Star Wars: Battlefront.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.